What Did Paul Want? – by Joseph A Cortes

Hebrews 5:13 reads, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful [without experience is a better translation] in the word of righteousness:”

There’s no doubt that Paul wanted everyone to understand what righteousness is, how to get it, and not how to fabricate it in your own strength. I’ve made it my mission to emphasize that I’m not trying to make you righteous. That is Christ’s doing. From the beginning man has tried to create his own righteousness to commune and get back in line with God but has constantly failed. We will never achieve that type of righteousness in our own strength or with our righteous ‘to do’ list. Isaiah 64:6 makes it very clear and to the point,

Whatever type of man made righteousness we try to clothe ourselves with is nothing more than filthy rags. Even if you are a Christian for 30 years with many acts of kindness and generosity it does not make you more righteousness then the rat on the street. It doesn’t matter how good you are, you are nothing but filth wearing filthy rags if Christ is not the one implementing and imputing that righteousness. You are clothed in filthy rags and it is not going to change until you understand righteousness is not of your own doing.

In other countries Christians are being persecuted with the kind of intensity that hasn’t really taken place since the days of the martyrs in the New Testament church days. And it is not just happening by the dozens, but by the thousands. It’s not wrong to let you know what our fellow brethren are suffering and what they need. That’s why Paul said not to forsake the assembly and, of course, once again it has been taken out of context. If you understand what Paul was saying here, the reason and meaning behind it, it was so these New Testament Christians could unify together and strengthen each other in the Word. Not only because of the terrible times they were facing, but also to see each other’s needs and if they could take care of those needs as a group. Fellow Christians have written to me saying they are being persecuted and they have needs. I might ask you to participate in that along with me and this ministry, but will that give us any righteousness because we are doing something that is good in the sight of man? No, and that is where most Christians fail. Helping others is demonstrating your love for one another, your concern and your compassion, and it is being more Christ-like. However, it does nothing to make you a righteous person. If it did, then it would give us the ability with our own means to develop righteousness in our life.

What God’s Word says repeatedly, is that righteousness is something man cannot achieve by himself; it can only be achieved through Christ. Even the best things we do and the most viewed good things we do by man is still nothing more than filthy rags to God because it is not the kind of righteousness that is required by God. Only Jesus Christ was able to fulfill that requirement. He was righteous from beginning, in the middle, and to the end. He was without sin. He had to come here and be righteous and represent the righteousness of God that was satisfied through Him and only through Him.

God was satisfied with only Christ’s efforts. Everyone else falls short and through Christ, the righteousness of God is now satisfied. It is the only representation of what righteousness is and how it can be imputed into us by faith in Him. Every other type of righteousness is nothing but filthy rags that will fade away as a leaf blown away in the wind. That is not what God is looking for. He wants us to put on Christ righteousness by faith that is pleasing to God. The minute you start trusting in Christ’s redeeming work He will start imputing you with HIs righteousness. All our hope is in Jesus.